With the arrival of summer, the cruise season in Gdynia has begun in earnest. More and more huge vessels are arriving at the port. This week, Mein Shiff 1 docked at the French Quay for the umpteenth time this year.

This is the third of seven visits planned for this season by the 315-meter cruise ship. The last one took place less than two weeks ago, and the next time Mein Shiff 1 will dock in Gdynia will be on July 6.

Mein Schiff 1 is 42.3 m wide, has a draft of 8.05 m, has a deadweight of 7,900 t and weighs 111,554 GT. The cruise ship has an energy-efficient and ecological drive, thanks to which emissions of harmful substances have been reduced by 30 percent compared to other ships of similar size.

The vessel is equipped with 4 main diesel-electric engines Wärtsilä 48 MW (65,300 HP); 2 x 12 V cylinders: 14.4 MW (19,600 HP); 2 x 8 L cylinders: 9.6 MW (13,050 HP).

The ship uses an AX type oil seal, or air seal, from the Japanese company KEMEL. This is an air system characterized by an air barrier that isolates the oil from the stern tube from seawater, allowing the use of mineral oil.

The vessel was built in 2018 at the Finnish shipyard in Turku for 500 million euros. The cruise ship first visited Gdynia just a few days after its christening, in May 2018 and is operated by TUI Cruises. Mein Schiff 1 sails under the Maltese flag in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, with stops in Madeira and the Canary Islands.

Mein Schiff 1 can take almost 2,900 passengers on board, and the crew numbers 1,000. The cruise ship has a total of 16 decks and 1,447 cabins. Numerous attractions have been prepared for passengers. These include: restaurants and bars, shops, a casino, a theatre, swimming pools, a spa, a gym and a special terrace with a glass floor, which gives the impression of "walking on water".

Only one cruise ship visiting Gdynia this season can boast a larger size - Celebrity Silhouette measuring exactly 319 meters. This giant can be viewed in the port on July 8.

This year, the number of cruiser visits will be as many as 41, which is 5 more compared to the previous season. The season will end with a visit by AIDAmar on October 22. On the last day of the holidays, August 31, the port of Gdynia will be visited by the latest in the series, the methanol-powered Mein Schiff 7, which was launched in December 2023. Mein Schiff 7 is over 300 meters long and has 15 decks, with 1,461 cabins for 2,894 passengers. The crew consists of 1,000 people. The capacity of the cruise ship is 111,500 GT.